Delights of Stark Tower
by thatflyingbrunette
Summary: Loki is hardly pleased when he is told he will be a prisoner at Stark Tower with the Avengers. But perhaps the fun antics of Tony Stark can give him a change of heart, and he can create friendships and mend relationships never thought to be possible.
1. Loki's Arrival

**Had this idea for awhile now, and finally put it into action. Really stoked to see how this story turns out!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

xxx

Loki was in a lot of pain. He had never hated his father so much, for he was the one that created this inhuman form of punishment. Stripped of his magic, Loki sat in a musty, underground cell with high security. He wasn't allowed to have any visitors, except when they came for revenge.

This was the price he had to pay for his crimes; he had to receive the same pain that the people of Asgard experienced when he wreaked chaos on their world. Lamenters came who had lost loved ones in the fight, and took their anger and grief out on Loki. He was chained and defenseless against their wrath, and could not heal himself. Oden made this punishment to teach Loki a lesson and to appease the citizens of Asgard, so they wouldn't revolt against the royal family.

Loki sat in his cell looking at the long gash running across his stomach and at the discolored bruises that were beginning to form on his arms and most likely, his face. His left eye was almost swollen shut, and his leg screamed in pain where it may have been broken. He focused on breathing evenly, trying to ignore the intense throbbing. He would not show weakness.

Suddenly, the door opened to his prison cell. Loki groggily thought that it couldn't be another angry Asgardian already; usually he got at least a of couple hours in-between torturers.

"We have come to collect you. You are being transferred to another prison," a gruff voice came from an armed guard outside the door. Loki wearily looked up at the guard and couldn't hold back a smirk at the amount of security Odin thought he needed. There were 5 guards and they were all clothed in full body armor and were each armed with a sword and shield.

"I can't really go anywhere, can I?" Loki said rudely as he shook his arms that were still chained to the wall, giving the guards a spiteful look. The leader came and quickly pulled out a key and unlocked him, the other fools standing alert with their hands gripped around their swords. Loki slowly stood up, trying to act casual and not show that he was in pain. Loki walked in silence, contemplating what he should do as the guards walked him down the numerous hallways. They finally arrived at the Throne Room, where Odin was waiting for their arrival.

Odin gave Loki a level look, as if Loki were just another despicable criminal and not his own adopted son. "You may be wondering why I have brought you here," Odin stated, watching Loki for a reaction.

Loki kept his face impassive, though it was true that he was confused as to why he was there.

"You are being transferred to Midgard, and are going to be left with your brother and his friends who stopped your perilous behavior and assisted us in stopping the army you created. It is no longer safe for you to stay here."

Loki eyes widened and he felt anger and dread pooling in his chest. He would have to be trapped with the measly Avengers on Earth? And with Thor, no less.

"Before you go, you must be justly restricted. Director Fury and I have already discussed this as well. Guards, do as I have commanded." Odin addressed the oafs surrounding Loki, and suddenly they sprung into action.

Loki was roughly slammed into a wall, and unable to fight back, stood there defenseless as a guard inserted a needle into his neck. It brought on a wave of pain through his throat, and continued to simmer and burn for quite awhile. Loki tried to cough, but found he could not make any sounds.

"You will not speak another lie, Loki. You will not speak at all." Odin said gravely as he watched the guards attack his unworthy son.

The guards then grabbed his left arm and harshly pulled it away from his body, twisting it in painful and unnatural angles. Something was then clasped around his wrist, where a violent, sharp pain emerged and ran through his arm like fire. Suddenly, as quickly as the pain came, it dissipated, leaving only a faint tingling behind.

"This is so if you try to escape your designated prison in Midgard, 10,000 volts of magic and electricity will run through you. It would be like the pain you just felt, except a hundred times worse. If any harm comes to it or you try to take it off, it will be set off and will take you straight to unconsciousness."

Loki glared at the man he once knew as his father, and then turned his eyes downward to inspect the instrument of destruction. It was a small metal chain that looked similar to a bracelet. For something so small, it sure did have a lot of power.

"Good bye, Loki. I hope your wrongdoings can be forgiven, and your mind reformed." Odin said his final partings to his Frost Giant son, and then the guards took the raven haired prisoner away.

xxx

Heimdall easily teleported Loki and three different guards to their desired destination, but the potency of the magic left Loki unconscious when they landed. He was roughly awoken, and one of the guards grumbled something about always getting the worse jobs.

Loki was pulled to his feet with no trace of sentiment from the guards. He swayed slightly, and when his head finally stopped spinning, he realized he was at Stark Tower in New York, the very city he tried to destroy months before.

The four of them walked up to Stark's front door, one rudely dragging Loki with him, while the other two gripped their spears that looked out of place in modern America. Once at the door, the guards faltered slightly, and then decided on just ringing the doorbell.

"They do expect our arrival, right?" One guard asked while waiting for someone to open the door.

"Hopefully they do, or they're in for an awful surprise." The other guard answered, looking at Loki in contempt. It seemed that no matter where he went, Loki was always despised in some way.

Finally, after several minutes, the door was opened by Tony Stark who stood just inside the doorway with a drink in one hand. Loki could hear loud music coming from within the Tower and wondered just what "Earth's Mightiest Heroes" did in their spare time.

A flicker of surprise flitted across Stark's face when he saw who was waiting outside, but then with very little hesitance said, "Sorry, trash days are on Sundays, come back another time." He glanced at Loki and then went to close the door. Loki narrowed his eyes at the measly mortal, and forced him to remember that in a hundred years time Stark would be long dead, while Loki would still be alive and kicking.

Suddenly the sound of Fury's voice rang through the Tower. "Don't you dare close that door, Stark!" he hollered. Nick Fury was suddenly next to Tony, and gestured at the guards to bring Loki in.

Tony's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head. "What is Loki doing here?" he said in irritation, glaring at Fury and then at Loki.

The rest of the team soon came down because of all the commotion, with various drinks in each of their hands. Natasha cursed when she saw Loki, and Clint Barton looked rather like he wished he had brought his crossbow with him.

"Now, now, that isn't any way to treat a new guest." Fury said. "I guess I should've warned you beforehand, but now is a good time as ever to tell you. Loki will be staying in Stark Tower under the surveillance of the Avengers as a prisoner."

Everyone on the team reacted to that statement. Thor looked like he had mixed feelings, as if he wanted to be excited but was still afraid of Loki losing his mind again. Bruce Banner just took the information in and nodded, deciding Loki wouldn't be much of a threat. He was the only one who noticed what a terrible state Loki was in. Steve looked worried, and immediately set his drink down.

Tony Stark just looked even angrier. "I hate to break it to you, cupcake, but this is MY Tower. I get to decide who stays here, and let me tell you, an insane, possibly evil God of Mischief isn't high on the guest list."

"I'm aware this may not seem like the best arrangement to you, but it's our last option." Fury responded. "It is no longer safe for him to stay in Asgard, and Earth was the next suitable choice."

"Why was he not safe in Asgard?" Thor asked, his first words spoken since the arrival of his brother. Loki looked at Thor surrounded by his new friends, and realized Thor hadn't worried about Loki much after he had been taken away. Loki wasn't sure why he felt a pang in his chest at that thought. Who cares what that oaf thinks?

Fury looked at Thor with a piercing gaze. "The Chitauri are looking for him. They seek revenge, and the people of Asgard were accused of helping Loki with his schemes. War would've broken out if he had stayed, and now, without his magic, he is untraceable here on Earth."

Thor nodded thoughtfully, and Steve said, "At least Stark Tower will be the last place they will think to look for Loki."

"True. Asgard is making it look like Loki escaped prison, and went God knows where. With that knowledge, the Chitauri will never expect Loki to be in the hands of the very ones who defeated him."

"Wouldn't be easier to just deliver Loki to the Chitauri? No harm in that." Clint muttered, and Natasha smirked.

"If he messes up again, we just might do that." Fury said gravely. "Be sure to report to me if anything goes awry."

Loki heard the threat loud and clear, and realized there was still a lot of bad blood between him and the Avengers, along with Fury. He figured it was to his benefit to try and make amends, but he had no idea how he would set forth doing it.

The other Avengers nodded, and Loki saw Natasha lean over and whisper something to Hawkeye, making Clint grin. Loki didn't particularly like the look of that.

"Alright, well now that this meet and greet is over, we can see you out." Fury looked at the guards respectfully, and they nodded, happy to hand over the prisoner for good. They quickly left the tower, and were all three teleported back to Asgard.

There was a silence among the Avengers after that, no one quite knowing what to say. Fury glanced at his watch and proceeded to grab his coat from the rack. "I have a meeting to attend, but I expect you guys to stay on your best behavior while I'm gone. No parties, alright?" He finished, looking at Stark. Tony, who had been zoning out during Fury's classic good bye speech, nodded half heartedly.

Fury stepped outside, and then turned around as if a thought just occurred to him. "Perhaps you can give Loki a tour to keep you busy." At Tony's look of disdain he added, "At least show him his room." And with that, Director Fury whisked out the door, leaving the Avengers alone with their new arrival.

xxx

Loki decidedly hated the fact that he couldn't speak. It took away his second most valuable weapon, his words. (First being his magic, that he conveniently didn't have access to either.) And right now he wanted nothing more than to harshly address the Avengers and the unsettling looks they were giving him.

Tony Stark, the one known as Iron Man, as Loki recalled, was the first to step up to the mangled prisoner. His initial retaliation had since worn off, and he obviously had a change of heart on the entire situation. He smiled the kind of grin a child does when he gets a new toy, but with hints of mischief in his eyes.

"So, about that tour?" Stark said, smirking at him in a way that Loki was not accustomed to. He knew that Stark was prone to jacking around, but he wasn't sure what was up Iron Man's sleeve this time.

Without waiting for a reply, (which, well, would've been hard for Loki to give), Tony grabbed Loki's arm and began dragging him towards the elevator. Loki winced in pain at the flares of a burning sensation that trickled up and down his injured leg, but forced himself not to limp.

Tony was oblivious to Loki's discomfort, and joyfully pressed the button to summon the elevator, humming to himself. Loki looked at the elevator in interest, thinking it was quite a clever idea to invent a machine to move you up and down floors of a building, especially for those who could not teleport.

"Anyone want to join us?" Tony called over his shoulder to his fellow Avengers. There were many faux excuses made, claiming they had stuff to do and other garbage such as that. Loki knew they just didn't want to be near him, and though pride was his first emotion of being able to frighten them, an ever present loneliness was his second.

Bruce was the only one who walked up to them, slowly scrutinizing Loki with curiosity and hints of concern.

Tony looked surprised that someone might actually take him up on his offer. "You're coming?" He addressed Banner.

Suddenly Loki vividly remembered that this pleasant looking man was the one who turned into a raging green monster when angry, and quickly Loki felt embarrassment and recalled bad memories of being smashed into the ground by him.

Bruce shook his head in reply to Tony's question. "No, I was just making sure Loki was healthy enough to be up and walking around a lot."

Tony raised an eyebrow and turned to face Loki, noticing for the first time Loki's swollen eye and tender way he was standing, with his weight heavily shifted to one leg.

Loki scowled, and instinctively tried to say, "I'm fine," before remembering he couldn't. He was glad he was wearing long sleeves and long pants, because he didn't want them to see the huge bruises that decorated his arms and legs. He didn't want their pity or concern, and he didn't deserve it anyway.

The elevator suddenly dinged, announcing its arrival. Tony shrugged and grabbed Loki's arm (with less force than earlier, Loki noticed) and pulled him into the elevator.

"He'll be fine." Tony said to Banner as the elevator doors closed.

xxx

The silence was deafening inside the small confinement of the elevator. Loki felt odd standing this close to Tony Stark, alone in a metal box, and for the first time in his life, felt hints of claustrophobia. Loki wondered if Tony remembered being thrown out a window by him, and felt an unfamiliar feeling at the thought of Tony planning his revenge on him, right at this very moment. Loki wasn't, couldn't be… was he actually feeling nervous?

The elevator door opened after what felt like hours, and Loki quickly got out, feeling relief wash over him.

This didn't go unnoticed by Tony. "Perhaps we'll take the stairs next time, hmm?" He said, his voice laced with amusement. Loki sent him a sharp glance trying to remind Stark that he was supposed to fear a megalomaniac such as himself, but Tony just chuckled at the constrained demigod. Tony then began to walk down the hall, leading Loki to his room.

"This floor is above the ones the Avengers sleep on, because some of them may not want you sleeping and dreaming dastardly thoughts too close by." Tony said. Loki rolled his eyes at Tony's childish statement.

"Also, it is above us so if you wanted to leave this building, you would have to get past our floor of 6 trained fighters, along with my exceptional security devices. Jarvis, say hi to our new prisoner." Tony said cheerfully, seemingly talking to no one.

"Hello." A kind British voice sounded throughout the hall, and Loki looked around to see where it had come from.

Tony held back a smile at the confused demigod, and explained, "That is Jarvis, my AI. AI stands for Artificial Intelligence, and he does the majority of keeping everyone in line here."

Loki nodded, not wanting to look like a fool by saying he didn't quite understand. Midgard was so different from Asgard, and he knew it would take him awhile to get accustomed to it.

"Well you responded much better than Thor did when Jarvis first unexpectedly spoke up. He jumped up, grabbed his hammer, and looked about ready to beat the living daylights out of someone." Tony commented, and let out a small chuckle at the memory.

 _I'm not Thor, and never will be._ Loki thought darkly, glad he wasn't related to that imbecile.

Tony may or may not have noticed Loki's withering look, but luckily steered away from the subject of Thor when they arrived at Loki's room.

"Here we are." Tony announced, gesturing at a closed white door, which was very plain and looked as if it had never been touched before.

Tony opened it and Loki peered inside to look at his soon-to-be bedroom. It was more on the small side of the spectrum, as far as rooms in Stark Tower go, but Loki didn't mind. It actually seemed rather cozy. He had a plain white double sized bed with a gray comforter, and there was a window near an armchair that overlooked New York that Loki appreciated.

"Of course, I wasn't aware of you coming before today, so everything in here is just default for a guestroom. Pepper may have to buy you some new clothes," Tony paused here, glancing at Loki's current bedraggled outfit. "And this room gets very drafty in the winter, so I can haul up some blankets for you sometime. Other than that you're set to go. Any questions?" Tony grinned, knowing full well that Loki couldn't actually ask anything.

Loki was inwardly stunned for a moment at the amount of kindness Tony Stark was showing him. Loki had done nothing to deserve it; in fact, he deserved exactly the opposite. Perhaps, though Loki wouldn't dare admit it, sometimes small acts of compassion were exactly what he needed to warm his Frost Giant heart.

Suddenly something sparked in Tony's eyes. "Hey have you ever had pizza?" Loki raised an eyebrow, wondering if he should be suspicious. He slowly shook his head, and marveled at the delight that overcame Tony.

"Well I know what we're having for dinner!" Tony declared happily. Loki remained confused, and figured he would discover what this 'pizza' was soon enough.

"So, to the stairs?" Tony said as they walked down the hall, glancing at Loki from the corner of his eye, a teasing smile on his face.

Loki allowed himself a small smile, and nodded. Tony led the way, and Loki followed close behind, deep in his own thoughts. Loki watched Tony with curiosity, something he never had for a mortal before. He then decided that perhaps staying with the Avengers wouldn't be so bad after all, especially if they were all as interesting as Mr. Tony Stark.

xxx

 **So there you have it. Loki is already warming up to Tony! Yay! Also this is the longest chapter I've ever written, and I'm pretty proud of it. Please review, it's my inspiration!**


	2. Pizza, the Library, and a New Wardrobe

**Hello everyone! So, I started writing this chapter when I realized I made a grave mistake. This note is only to those who read Chapter One before I updated it. One major change: LOKI DOES NOT HAVE A MUZZLE ANYMORE, BUT HE STILL CAN'T SPEAK. But at least he can enjoy pizza ;)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters.**

xxx

Loki sat by himself in the kitchen of Stark Tower, watching the Avengers goof around together. Tony Stark immediately went to the box of coldness, apparently called a "refrigerator", and pulled out what he declared to be frozen pizza that would soon taste better than heaven.

At this very moment, the pizza was baking, and Loki had to admit the aroma coming from the oven was tantalizing and pleasant. If it tasted as good as it smelled, it would be no wonder why Tony seemed as eager for it as he did.

Every member of the Avengers was crowded in the space of the kitchen and living room, which were conjoined. They were talking and laughing with one another, all waiting for the magnificent pizza as well.

Loki knew they were purposely avoiding him. Why wouldn't they? He had destroyed part of their beloved Earth, and brought harm to innocent people and to them. At first, he was glad they had given him space, but now a tiny part of him longed to be able to laugh and converse with them as an accepted member of their group.

What imprudent thoughts! He chided himself on letting them mess with the susceptible part of his mind; he couldn't forget that as of now, they were the enemy. He was a prisoner here, not someone who would be invited to friendly get-togethers.

Suddenly, Loki noticed Thor looking over at him. Determined not to look lonely or like he wanted any sort of company, Loki sat up straighter and put a haughty look on his face.

It didn't stop Thor from approaching him with looks of wretched concern all over his face. Loki would've groaned if he could have.

"Brother, why do you stay over here all by yourself? You may be at this place for a while; you might as well become acquainted with some of my friends."

Loki ignored him, and made sure Thor saw him visibly roll his eyes. It clearly said, "Leave me alone, I don't like you or your friends", but no, an old fool such as Thor would not acknowledge the blaringly obvious signs of rejection.

"Loki, I know we have grown apart throughout the years, but I think this is a grand opportunity to restore the bond between us, and make peace once more. I also think…" Thor continued his ongoing monologue; the same one Loki had heard dozens of times before. It's all about making amends, becoming united, yada, yada, yada.

To distract himself from the lumbering idiot in front of him, Loki looked past Thor and watched Tony Stark entertain his fellow Avengers, all while slowly getting more and more drunk. Loki observed Stark in amusement, and even more so when he poured himself another glass of scotch.

After a few minutes, Loki realized Thor had long since stopped talking, and was looking at him with a peculiar expression on his face.

"Why are you more interested in my friends than your own brother?" Thor asked, glancing behind him to see exactly what Loki found so enthralling.

 _You're not my brother._ Loki thought in annoyance. Because Loki was unable to voice that particular thought, he settled for standing up and moving away from Thor. Loki barely noticed the hurt expression that Thor displayed, and didn't care to feel bad about it.

xxx

Loki, who had now migrated from the chair by the window to the kitchen table, sat down and felt rather crowded as the other Avengers took their places around the table. He didn't feel welcome to be eating with them, judging by the sour looks Romanoff kept sending him.

The two chairs next to him remained empty, until Tony Stark and Bruce Banner arrived, bringing 6 large steaming pizzas with them. They each sat next to him, and Loki watched Banner warily. He wasn't very paranoid about Tony, and for some odd reason he felt like he could trust the genius mortal.

It was quite a feast that was laid out in front of him and the others, and he almost thought 6 pizzas was a little excessive until the Avengers started eating. They practically inhaled their food; Thor by himself had at least a whole pizza on his own, before Loki could even reach in and take a slice.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down guys." Tony said good-naturedly. Then he turned to Loki and took a huge slice of cheese pizza and plopped it down on Loki's plate.

"This is a big moment, everyone. This could quite possibly be the last adult on this entire planet who has yet to try the delicacy known as pizza."

The sounds of chewing and swallowing came to a halt, and Loki watched as each of the Avengers turned to look at him. Loki felt extremely uncomfortable with everyone's eyes on him, and averted his attention to the pizza on the table.

Tony nudged him and grinned, and Loki immediately knew some of the booze had gone to his head. Loki rolled his eyes and tried to appear nonchalant, and then, using a fork and knife, cut himself a tiny portion of the pizza and tried it.

Tony whooped, and Clint pretended to slow clap while still glaring daggers at Loki. But even Clint Barton's bitterness would not stop Loki from acknowledging his newfound discovery.

Loki decided he really liked pizza.

xxx

Later that night, Loki was sitting in his room, unquestionably bored. He had already stared out the window for thirty minutes, imagined dozens of mean tricks he could play on Thor for an entire hour, tried to write in the little journal he found in the desk drawer for about 15 minutes before he gave up, and stared at the black screen of the flat contraption on the wall for another 20 minutes. In the end, he concluded that he needed to find something to entertain himself with before he lost his mind.

Just when he was thinking of taking his dresser apart and putting it back together again, his door suddenly opened. In came none other than Tony Stark, looking more than a little drunk and slightly peeved. It looked as though Steve or Bruce had managed to wrestle the alcohol away from Stark, and he wasn't very happy about it.

Loki brightened at his arrival, excited for something else to entertain himself with. Tony looked at Loki, then around the room.

"What have you been doing in here all this time?" Tony asked, stepping towards Loki.

Loki just shrugged in response.

"Ah, I see." Tony nodded as if that explained everything. "Well you know what? We need to get you out of this room."

Loki fully agreed and stood up, letting his long legs stretch out. Tony spirits seemed to have lifted, and gladly opened the door for Loki.

"I know just the place." He said, a smile forming on his face.

The duo walked down the hall in a comfortable silence, and Tony only stumbled a few times; it seems as though the alcohol was finally wearing off.

Meanwhile, Loki was trying to take in as much as he could of Stark Tower. He looked at the various doors that lined the hallway, and wondered what could be behind each of them. Perhaps one day he would ask Tony.

Suddenly, they stopped at a murky glass door, the kind that when you peer in, you can only see vague outlines and distorted colors. Loki felt curiosity building inside him, especially when he glanced at Tony's eager-to- please face.

Tony opened the door, and Loki immediately looked inside. It was an enormous room lined floor to ceiling with books, with several inviting and homey armchairs to sit in and read. Loki never would've thought Stark Tower would have a library, especially not one as elaborate as this one.

"So do you like it?" Tony looked at Loki hopefully, and for a moment Loki thought Tony Stark might actually care about his well-being and opinions. Loki nodded, because he did indeed like it, and didn't want to disappoint Tony.

Tony smiled in satisfaction. "I always pinned you as a book person."

Loki was undeniably a voracious reader, and wanted to go and find a volume from one of the library's towering shelves that very instant. Tony must've taken note of his interest, because he smiled and then put a hand on Loki's shoulder.

"I'll give you lots of time later to bury yourself in a novel, but right now, we need to go downstairs and see what clothes Pepper thoughtfully got for you." Loki was surprised that she had already gone wardrobe shopping for him, for he had only been there less than a day.

Loki obediently followed Tony down the stairs once more, thinking about meeting Pepper and how she would act towards him. He hadn't done that much harm directly to her that he could remember… Well, besides throwing her boyfriend out of a window.

When they finally reached the bottom level, Tony Stark seemed rather out of breath. "You know, you're going to have to get over your fear of elevators, because my legs are killing me right now. Most normal people don't go up and down 8 flights of stairs normally."

Loki smirked as he cockily waited for Stark to catch his breath, purposely making it obvious that he was not challenged by the long trek from his room.

Tony noticed this, and punched Loki in the arm with mock irritation, much like he did with his fellow Avengers. Though it kind of stung the bruise Tony happened to hit, the thought of Tony treating him like an equal raised Loki's spirits.

xxx

Pepper's room was nice and pleasing to the eye. It was larger than Loki's, and adorned with various shades of purple and white. She was sitting on her bed doing laundry, and looked up at her evening visitors.

"Hello gentlemen, what can I help you with?" She asked politely, glancing at Loki for a moment before turning back to Tony. Loki liked how calm she was, and seemed very level headed compared to Tony Stark's sometimes sporadic actions.

"We just came in for the new clothes that you bought for Loki." Tony answered.

"Oh, I see. Well they're in the bag over there on the couch." Pepper answered, gesturing with one hand as she continued folding shirts with the other.

"Thanks, dear." Tony said lightly, and walked over to the bag and began looking inside. "Hmm lots of black and green… Don't you think that's a little stereotypical?" Tony asked Pepper dryly, with hints of amusement in his eyes.

"Well I figure if those are the colors he chooses when he tries to take over the world, he must like them. That kind of thing is usually excessively televised, meaning lots of people will see." Pepper quipped in a wry manner. And it was true, Loki's favorite colors were black and green, and he was thankful for Pepper's keen observations.

"The old saying is that beggars can't be choosers, so hopefully you like what you get." Tony addressed Loki. He pulled out a random black t-shirt and held it up to Loki.

"Looks about right… Darn you, Frost Giant, why do you have to be so tall?" Tony muttered to himself. Evidently, Tony didn't realize that Loki was a midget compared to normal Frost Giants. Loki didn't intend to let him find out, either.

"If it's not the right size, don't blame me. I just got the size you told me to get." Pepper piped up, making sure the right person was held responsible for any mistakes that were made.

"Well of course, I was just estimating." Tony replied. Then he looked up from inspecting the shirt, and looked Loki in the eye. "But don't forget my calculations are very rarely wrong."

Then Tony Stark grabbed the bag of clothes, and handed it to Loki.

"You can try them on as you please, anything that doesn't fit or you don't like just return to me and Pepper can return it."

"If you ask nicely maybe I will." Pepper interjected. "Don't forget, I have a company to run, and don't have time to run all your errands for you."

Tony laughed because he knew that Pepper always ended up running the errands, no matter how many times she threatened Tony that she wouldn't.

"Alright Pep, you're right, I bet you're very busy running my company that I happen to have to invent all the merchandise for. And you know with me occasionally saving the world and housing villains, I clearly have lots of time on my hands." Tony responded sarcastically, but not with ill intent.

Pepper just rolled her eyes, "You know you'd be a wreck without me." She said.

Loki left Pepper's room, deciding that he liked her and her snarky personality. He also wished once again that he could speak, because he would very much like to participate in friendly banter with Tony Stark someday.

Loki liked conversing with intelligent people, and there was no doubt Tony Stark was as intelligent as they come.

xxx

 **And there's the second chapter for you, my lovelies! I was very motivated today, and so far am pleased with how it's going. Please, please, please review! Thanks!**


	3. The Perks of Being a Good Guy

**I wanted to point out that in this story Tony and Pepper are not dating. It's kind of in the stage afterwards, when they both decided they weren't quite compatible with each other as a couple, but are still very good friends.**

 **Disclaimer: Still own nada**

xxx

Loki woke up the next morning extremely sore. The bruises on his arms and legs were turning a purple-greenish color, and they hurt whenever he made any movements. His left leg, the one he initially thought may have been broken, was extremely tight and painful. Loki was afraid the bone may be trying to heal in the wrong position.

Lastly, the thing Loki was most worried about was the gash on his stomach. It had been given to him by a rusty blade of an angry prisoner, but he hadn't been too worried about it until now. Sure, it did bleed quite a bit when he first received it, and he had to hold an old rag to it for several hours before the blood finally clotted up. Loki had thought after that it would just heal itself, but apparently leaving it open was the worst thing he could do.

The wound was most definitely infected. Not only was it discolored, there was pus coming out of it and it was unbelievably painful. He had been trying to hide his injuries from the Avengers to protect his already damaged pride, but he realized now he may have to enlist in some help.

He pondered for awhile about who he should ask, even though deep inside he already knew the answer. He didn't want to admit it, but he was still a little afraid of the man after their last encounter. Nevertheless, Bruce Banner was the only doctor on the team, and Loki needed someone with medical experience.

With his decision still fresh in his mind, Loki gently picked himself up off his bed. He stumbled a bit when he tried to walk, but managed not to fall. He then took a deep breath and left his room in search of the extremely bipolar doctor.

xxx

On the third flight of stairs on the way down, Loki finally acknowledged that perhaps Stark was right, and maybe the elevator wasn't such a bad idea after all. He wheezed in pain, his left leg screaming and his stomach burning with every step. He really hoped he didn't encounter Black Widow or Hawkeye while he was in this state.

When he finally made it down all 8 flights, Loki stopped for several minutes at the bottom of the stairs. It wasn't that he was out of breath, it was just the pain lessened when he didn't move.

He was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, wrestling with his mind on whether or not to continue, when he heard a sound. He looked up and saw Steve Rogers had walked through the door, and then stopped when he saw Loki.

"Hi, Loki," he said with a hint of surprise, but his face remained calm and well put together.

Loki nodded his head once in acknowledgment at the Captain, and then pulled himself off the wall and slowly started walking towards the exit.

"Hey, what are you doing? Are you looking for Tony?" Steve asked before Loki could successfully escape. Loki glanced at Steve in confusion, and then shook his head. Why would he automatically assume he was looking for Stark?

"Oh okay. Do you need any help? No offense, but you kind of look lost." Loki inwardly rolled his eyes at the ever helpful Captain, but secretly did appreciate the gesture. However, he wasn't quite capable of asking Rogers where Bruce Banner was, so he just shook his head and turned to leave once more.

Apparently Steve Rogers is persistent in his good deeds even with notorious villains, because he grabbed Loki's arm (missing the scattered bruises, luckily) and handed him a pad of paper and a pen.

"That way you can communicate without needing your voice," Steve unnecessarily explained.

Loki was actually grateful for Steve's thoughtfulness. He took out the pen in his hand and scrawled out a quick _Thank you._

Loki was about to just pocket the paper and be on his way, but decided that he might as well ask for help instead of wandering aimlessly throughout Stark Tower.

 _Do you know where the doctor is?_ He wrote, and then handed it to Steve.

Rogers looked at him questioningly. "Bruce?"

Loki nodded in response. He hoped Steve wouldn't ask him why he needed a doctor, because Loki was actually kind of shy about needing to rely on anyone for anything.

Steve smiled, and seemed less tense with Loki then he was yesterday. "I can lead you to him if you want. I know these halls can get pretty confusing without living here for awhile." He offered kindly.

Loki nodded in acceptance of his service, and then walked with Steve past winding corridors and dozens of identical doors. They didn't speak to one another, but then again, what was there to talk about?

When they arrived at Bruce's lab, Steve knocked on the large door.

"Bruce, it's me, Steve," He called in, and then added, "And I brought a guest."

The door was opened and Bruce's tired face peered out. His hair was disarrayed and crumpled like he just woke up, but at the same time the bags under his eyes made it look like he hadn't slept in days. Loki hoped he wouldn't be much of a bother to him by asking him to examine his injuries.

"Um hi." Bruce said, glancing at them and then the inside of his lab, looking rather preoccupied. "What can I help you with?" He looked from Steve to Loki; not shying away from Loki's piercing green eyes.

"Um Loki was looking for you. I just brought him here." Steve answered.

"Oh." Bruce said, still not fully comprehending. He looked at Loki warily.

"Well, I have to go now, I need to head upstairs and see if Stark can make some improvements to my shield." He glanced at Loki and nodded in friendly enough way, then smiled at Bruce before he turned and left.

There was an awkward silence for a moment or two before Bruce finally spoke up.

"So what do you want to see me for?"

Loki rummaged through the pockets of the black jeans Pepper had bought him, and pulled out the pad of paper and the pen. He hesitated for a moment on how to phrase his words so it didn't seem like he was desperate for Bruce's help, and couldn't help but feel the doctor's eyes on him as he inwardly struggled.

 _I was wondering if you could take a look at a small cut I seemed to have gotten while in Asgard._ Loki made sure to downplay his injuries, so that if he was denied assistance he could act like it wasn't a big deal.

Understanding finally dawned in Bruce's eyes, and realizing Loki was here for innocent purposes, he nodded easily. "Sure thing. Come on in."

Loki walked in, looking at all the Midgardian equipment around him in interest. Bruce pointed to a mat on a table and told Loki to lay down on it. Loki obliged and laid there while Bruce got some equipment.

"Where is it the cut?" Bruce said when he approached the mat Loki was lying on. Loki pointed to his stomach, and Bruce nodded in a professional manner.

"Can you take your shirt off for me?" Bruce asked, about to continue when he was interrupted by a teasing voice.

"Slow down guys, shouldn't you have at least a dinner date first?" Tony Stark suddenly sauntered inside, grinning and pretending to chide them.

Bruce sighed, looking annoyed but not surprised. "Tony what are you doing here? You know Cap's looking for you right?"

"I know. That's why I'm here, avoiding him." Tony answered. Then he walked over to where Loki was lying. "What's he doing here?" He addressed Bruce, but his eyes remained on Loki.

Loki sat up, feeling violated and embarrassed now that Stark was here. He didn't want to seem like the kind of person who needed help from others.

"I think he has an injury. I was going to check it out for him." Bruce said. Tony didn't stop staring at Loki, and it reminded him of how a scientist would look at an experiment. It wasn't a pleasant feeling.

"You can leave now." Bruce urged when Tony didn't answer.

"No, thanks. I think I'll stay. I'll go sit in the corner over there. You won't even notice I'm here." Tony replied, walking over to a seat by the far wall.

Bruce rolled his eyes, and turned his attention back to Loki. Loki knew he was waiting for him to take his shirt off, but didn't want to ask again, especially not with Stark's immature commentary.

Loki hesitated, but then proceeded to pull off his shirt. He could feel Bruce and Tony's eyes on him, and he felt exposed and vulnerable, with all the marks on his skin showing clear as day.

Banner's eyes widened, showing his surprise at the severity of the gash, clearly not what he was expecting to find.

He met Loki's eyes and asked, "How long ago did you receive this wound? And how?"

 _About 8 or 9 days ago from someone's blade._ Loki left the answer vague, hoping it was clear he didn't want to delve into details.

"That's nifty, using paper to communicate. Who gave it to you? My bet's on Steve." Tony remarked out of turn. Loki and Banner both ignored him.

"It would be easier to use one of my tablets though, and then you wouldn't have to get a new piece of paper every time. But you know Steve, he's pretty old-fashioned." Tony continued, intent on annoying them.

"That's very interesting Stark," Bruce replied sarcastically, "But we're a little busy here, and don't need your comments."

Tony looked like he was going to reply, but couldn't because Bruce started talking again about the subject at hand.

"Okay Loki, from the looks of this, it is highly infected. I'm guessing you've never had a tetanus shot?" Loki just looked at him blankly, having never even heard of such a thing before.

"Well you're about to get one. It's to prevent the rust inside the cut to become infected and from giving you a dangerous disease." Bruce walked over and opened several cabinets before he finally found the shot he was looking for.

"Ah, found it." Then he walked back over to Loki and wiped a portion of his arm with antibacterial cleaning solution, and gently stuck the needle in. Loki's wince was barely noticeable, and Bruce didn't say anything about it.

Loki had a small bout of paranoia for a moment, thinking back to the shot in Asgard that took away his voice. He quickly reassured himself that Banner was a good and smart man, and that his treatment would work the way it was supposed to. At least that's what he hoped.

"Also I think I'll put you on antibiotics to get rid of the infection that's already there." He said, and then began muttering to himself about the damage and what could be used to help.

"This ointment?" he murmured, holding something to the light and examining it. "No…" Bruce continued on like this for awhile, until he found all the equipment he needed.

"Okay, I'm going to need you to take 2 of these pills a day. One in the morning and one at night, preferably with meals." Bruce said, handing Loki a bottle of pills. "If it's not healed completely when the bottle is empty, come back to me and I can check up on it again."

Loki nodded, and then curiously looked at the container of antibiotics he was given. He never needed to take medicine or see a doctor before, because he used able to heal himself with magic.

Thinking of his magic made Loki gloomy, because he truly did love and miss it. It was the part of him that reminded him of his mother the most, and the thing that set him apart from others. Without his magic, Loki realized that there was nothing really special about him at all, and all those hundreds of hours and late nights of training it were for nothing.

"Are there any other injuries I can help you with?" Bruce's voice interrupted Loki from his thoughts. Bruce was peering at the many bruises that colored his arms and chest, and must've realized there was some extent of torture in his stay in Asgard.

Loki went back and forth on whether to tell Banner about his leg. What if he made him take his pants off? And in front of Tony Stark, no less? The thought was almost unbearable. But he was already here, and he thought about the numerous consequences to be had if the fractured bone of his leg healed incorrectly.

He pulled out another sheet of paper and kept the pen lingering just above the surface. Time to make a choice.

 _No, I'm fine, thanks. Thank you for your assistance._ He wrote and showed the paper to Bruce. He hoped he didn't end up regretting this decision. 

Bruce looked at Loki like he didn't quite believe him, but nodded anyway. "Come back and visit me if you ever need anything else, Loki,"

It was that very moment that realization hit Loki like a truck. This is why these guys were the good guys, the reason they were different than him. First Tony, then Steve, and now Bruce. All three were people that he terrorized for no good reason at all, yet they still treated him with compassion and respect.

For the first time in his life that he could remember, Loki wished he could be known as a "good guy", and had an aspiration to fulfill it.

xxx

 **To contribute to the rising action, I'm trying to get Loki to associate with each of the characters and portray how they act with one another. I like this chapter, and it is the beginning of the reformation of Loki's heart and mind. Please review! If you have any constructive criticism, suggestions, or opinions on the story so far, please let me know! Thanks!**


	4. Clint's Unplanned Confrontation

**Hi! I've gotten some great reviews and suggestions, and I would like to thank every one of you who reviewed, favorite, or followed this story! It truly means a lot to me.**

xxx

That night, Loki had nightmares. It wasn't unusual for him to wake up in cold sweat because of the terrors of his subconscious, and he often had agonizing memories of being tortured and imprisoned.

However, during the second night at Stark Tower, his dreams had changed. For the first time, the Avengers made an appearance in his nighttime endeavors, plaguing his mind and innermost being.

He dreamed that Tony Stark was the one who came to Asgard to torment him, and dreamt over and over again of being attacked by the normally friendly, (though sometimes arrogant), genius until Loki was begging for mercy. A reoccurring nightmare that seemed to not ever go away was Bruce Banner transforming into the Hulk and beating up Loki until he could no longer feel his nerve endings.

Even Steve Rogers was there, his normally righteous shield turned into a weapon of destruction against Loki, constantly being thrown at him until Loki was just a bloody, crumpled heap on the ground. The last dream was Thor and Odin staring at Loki like they didn't recognize him, like he was a mistake and a disgrace. They slowly came towards him, their eyes an unnatural shade of red, and Thor brandished his hammer with an insane glint in his eyes.

Loki woke up stifling his screams just as Mjolnir came flying towards him.

He sat up in his bed inside the guest bedroom of Stark Tower, clutching his blankets and repeating to himself that it was just a dream. The nightmares haunted Loki's fragile mind, and he wondered whether he could truly trust the Avengers. The shadows in his room gave him a peculiar feeling of being watched, as if someone was waiting within the darkness to attack him.

He couldn't stand being trapped in that room a second longer, and he desperately wanted somewhere calm and safe to gather his thoughts. So, while still in gray sweatpants and a black t-shirt, he pulled on shoes and walked quickly and quietly to the ground floor. He found himself in the kitchen, and with fear still lingering in his thumping heart, he proceeded to turn on every single light around him.

Loki hoped that perhaps a glass of water would calm him down, and he could peacefully find sleep once more.

xxx

Clint Barton remained awake in the dead of the night once again. He increasingly had more and more trouble with insomnia since the last attack of the Chitauri, and now that Loki was here in the same building as him permanently, he could not sleep at all.

To ease his mind, Clint stood up and began walking towards the elevator to go downstairs. He felt more at peace knowing that he could spend some time alone in the living room, with thoughts of Loki left far behind.

He stepped inside the elevator and realized he was doing the same routine he had done hundreds of time since being mind controlled. Clint felt weak, like Loki was still controlling him even without his stupid magical scepter. He recalled a conversation he had taken part in with Black Widow soon after Loki arrived, and knew sometimes he ought to listen to his ninja-assassin girlfriend.

 _"_ _I don't understand why he has to be here," Clint had said bitterly, despising Loki and everything about him._

 _"_ _It's for the safety of Asgard. By keeping him here, we are also keeping him from trying any more destructive behavior." Natasha had responded sensibly. She always knew to not let any emotions get in the way of her thoughts._

 _"_ _I know. It just brings back bad memories," Clint said quietly, hating how vulnerable he sounded._

 _Natasha looked up and met his eyes, giving him a reassuring look. "You are coping better than most people would. But I'm afraid with Loki being around here frequently, you might lose it. We can't afford for you to do that."_

 _Clint had understood what she meant. Even just in the last couple hours that Loki had been there, Clint had gotten very closed off and passive-aggressive towards everyone. It was like Loki had turned on a switch when he arrived, and all of the terrible memories of attacking his own teammates came rushing back to Clint._

 _"_ _Maybe you should confront Loki," Natasha had offhandedly remarked. "Let off some steam, and let him know that you're the one in control now, not him."_

Clint's miniature flashback ended there, and he mused over what she had said. Maybe it was time to get control back of his own life, and Clint even pictured how it would play out perfectly, with Clint finally being the one who would end up on top. But deep inside, he knew the fear and anger he had when he was around Loki would repel any opportunities to talk to him.

At least that's what he was thinking when he strolled into the kitchen of Stark Tower, and saw that the infamous God of Mischief was already there.

xxx

Loki had his back to Barton, and a tiny voice in Clint's mind said that it wasn't too late to run back to his room and avoid an encounter. For a fleeting moment, Clint considered doing just that, but then regained enough will power to keep himself where he was.

Hawkeye incidentally liked the vantage point he had, and could see Loki without a chance of Loki turning around and seeing him. He hid in the shadows for a bit as he tried to figure out what Loki was doing in the kitchen in the middle of the night.

Revelation dawned on Clint when he noticed the empty cup in Loki's hand, and noticed the puzzled way he was looking at the refrigerator. Loki looked like he wanted a glass of water, but didn't know how to use the Midgardian appliance to get one!

Clint accidentally let out a snicker, and Loki immediately whirled around, his eyes sharp with alertness. Loki's gaze swept past him, and at first he did not notice Clint blending in with the darkness. Realizing he was going to be found out somehow anyway, Clint stood up and stepped into the light, exposing himself to Loki's prying eyes.

"Hi." Wow, Clint, real articulate.

Loki eyes widened just a smidge in surprise, before returning his expression to indifferent. Clint almost didn't notice the small sign of catching Loki off guard, but he did, and it made him realize Loki wasn't as invincible as he pretended to be. He also took note that Loki wasn't acting as high and mighty as he usually did.

"To get water, you just press the cup into the little button on the fridge, you know."Clint offered in mock helpfulness.

Loki seemed like he was trying to appear like he didn't need any help from Clint, but his glass was still uncertainly hovering a few inches from the water dispenser.

Clint sighed, and squashing the rising apprehension he had in his gut, walked over to where Loki was struggling.

"Here, princess, let me show you." Clint took Loki's cup and pushed against the side of the dispenser, and magically water filled the glass. With a smirk, he handed the now full cup back to Loki.

Clint felt like he was floating above the scene and watching someone else impersonate Clint in his own body. Where had all this confidence come from? Maybe it was the fact that Loki needed his help on something as simple as getting his own water, and it actually gave Clint a slight edge and power over him.

Loki looked at the glass as if to make sure the substance inside was actually water, but still didn't take a sip. He looked at Clint questioningly, and Clint didn't know why.

"So what are you doing up-"Clint turned and glanced at the digital clock on the kitchen counter, "At 3:00 in the morning?"

Loki shrugged slightly, and Clint knew that he could get a real answer judging by the pad of paper sticking out of his pocket, but Loki just chose not to give one.

Suddenly, Clint noticed something about Loki he didn't notice before. He was rather pale this particular night, and he kept shifting tentatively on his feet and not looking Clint straight in the eye. It was almost as if Loki was nervous around him, though the very thought was laughable, knowing of Clint's past experiences with the demigod.

There was one fact Clint was sure of however, and it was that Loki was very tense and extra cautious, as if Barton was an untamed animal likely to attack at any second. Clint almost wanted to jump at Loki just to scare him and see how he would react, but then quickly dismissed the idea as a not very smart one.

"Well if you're secretly nocturnal, no worries, I won't tell anyone." Clint said, using humor as his best defense as to not let his thoughts take a hold of him. He then walked past Loki to the cabinet where his sleeping meds were and pulled the well-used bottle out.

 _What is that?_ Loki placed a paper beside Clint, and Barton looked at the elegant handwriting in masked surprise. He wasn't expecting Loki to try and converse with him.

"Um, they're sleeping pills. To help you sleep." Clint even sounded dumb in his own ears, and inwardly face palmed.

Loki nodded, and with interest decorating his features, his long thin fingers wrapped around the pill bottle as he picked it up to inspect it.

"Do you want one?" Clint asked, more because he needed something to say than from the kindness of his heart.

Loki raised an eyebrow and then nodded, perhaps wondering why the guy he had mind controlled was being nice to him.

Coincidentally, Clint was wondering the same thing, but nevertheless handed Loki a small white pill, and then took two for himself. Loki waited until Clint swallowed both of his before gingerly doing the same.

"Loki, you know in about 10 minutes we're going to be conked out on the kitchen floor from these pills, but I want to let you know that even though I'm still peeved about…what you did to me, I'm going to, uh, try to be nicer to you. I guess."In his head, Clint expected his speech to Loki to be more fiery and well, more rehearsed than that. He actually intended to make Loki feel guilty for what he did, and for Clint not to be the one making the apologies. Dang it Barton, why can't you do anything right?

Yet, when he looked at Loki, Clint felt like maybe he had, by chance, said the right thing after all. It was almost as if Clint's attempt at compassion meant a lot to Loki, like all Loki really wanted was to be accepted. Clint snorted at the thought in his head, feeling childish for thinking of something so naïve.

Loki was still trying to write a response, and seemed to keep rereading and crossing out what he wrote to make sure it portrayed what he wanted it to.

 _I am_ _genuinely sorry about what_ _I did to you during the Battle of New York. It was nothing personal, believe me, and I regret_ _all the decisions I made._

Near the bottom of the page there was what looked like entire sentences marked out to be completely unreadable. Clint looked up at Loki's guarded face after reading the note, and tried to understand why it felt like a big moment had just occurred.

Suddenly it clicked. Clint Barton had just received a formal and sincere apology from one of the biggest villains in all of the nine realms. Not only that, but Clint realized Loki wasn't just apologizing for brainwashing Clint to do his dirty work, but for all of the actions he made against Earth and the Avengers.

Loki was known for his ability to lie, but Clint had seen Loki lie before and it was nothing like this. Loki looked almost timid now, as if he was embarrassed and thought he made a mistake by opening up to Clint.

Clint, though he was having trouble keeping his eyes open because of the sleeping pills, grinned and felt like a huge burden had been lifted off his chest. He almost wanted to hug Loki, but that might make things awkward.

He settled for saying "Apology accepted, dude." before finally passing out on the kitchen floor. Loki at least managed to make it to the couch before falling into a dreamless, deep, and content slumber.

xxx

 **Yay, we finally got Loki and Clint to make up! Clint was pretty much the last Avenger that Loki had to make amends with, because if Clint's happy with Loki, so will Natasha. I wasn't planning on using different POV's other than Loki's at the beginning of this story, but there wasn't much of a way to do this without Clint's POV. So please, tell me what you think! Review please!**

 **ALSO Thanks to Danneyland for helping me edit parts of this story, along with giving me some great input and ideas!**


	5. Tony's New Mission

**Hello my lovely readers! We get some Tony Stark POV in this one, yay!**

xxx

It would be an understatement to say the Avengers were flabbergasted to find Loki and Clint fast asleep the next morning in such close proximity.

Even though Clint was sleeping on the kitchen floor for some unknown reason while Loki was on the couch, it still shocked the Avengers that Clint allowed himself to be less than ten feet away from Loki, especially in such a vulnerable position. Didn't Clint hate Loki, or was Tony's memory fooling him?

In fact, when Tony first came across the scene that morning to find Clint lying on the kitchen tile, he immediately assumed Loki had done something dastardly to him. However, at closer inspection, he noticed that Clint was not injured or unconscious, but merely asleep. And then Tony noticed the open bottle of sleeping pills and it all clicked into place.

He came to the conclusion that Barton had come down in the middle of the night because he couldn't sleep, taken perhaps too many sleeping pills, and then conked out on the floor instead of on a bed like any acceptable person. Tony was actually rather proud of himself, feeling like he was Sherlock Holmes or something.

But there was still one key component that didn't quite fit in. What was Loki doing there?

Tony Stark responded in a way only Tony Stark would, which would be by kicking Clint awake to get some answers.

Clint responded with some indecipherable grumblings, and then rolled onto his back to see who was bothering him. "What do you want, Stark?"

Suddenly, Barton looked quickly around him and sat up, peering around at his surroundings in confusion. It seemed to take him a few moments to remember the events of the night before, and how he ended up sleeping in Stark's kitchen.

"Is there a reason you and Loki are sleeping down here? You know, I thoughtfully provided bedrooms in this tower for a reason." Tony said with a hint of sarcasm.

Clint scrambled to stand up, and then immediately looked at Loki who was still sleeping on the couch. The rest of the Avengers waited in uncertainty for an explanation from Clint.

"Well, um…" Clint began, the effects of sleep evidentially still wearing off as he rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands.

"Did my brother harm you?" Thor boomed suddenly, seeming worried. Clint quickly shook his head to clear up any suspicions, and Thor sighed in relief. Tony noticed Loki starting to stir from the sound of his brother's loud voice.

"Actually quite the opposite." Clint said, looking awkward and glancing at Loki periodically.

Tony had to resist the urge to make an inappropriate comment, and wondered what truly happened that made Clint no longer glare at Loki with vehemence like he usually did.

"I couldn't sleep, so I came down here to take my medicine," Clint began explaining, gesturing at the pill bottle, "and then I noticed Loki was down here already."

Tony watched as his friends' eyes widened at this part in the story, probably wondering how a fight didn't break out.

In the midst of Clint's explanation, Loki suddenly fully awoke, and sat up and stared at the Avengers that were hovering around him. Tony turned his attention to Loki, to Clint, and then back to Loki, trying to connect the puzzle pieces.

"And it seemed that he was having difficulties with the water dispenser," Clint continued with a hint of a grin, "So… well, I helped him."

Loki seemed to realize what was happening and what Barton was explaining because he then rolled his eyes in an uncaring manner, but at the same time, Tony noticed he was tenser than before.

"In the end, I guess we just decided we would try to get along. Not much point spending the rest of our lives hating each other." Clint finished lamely. He made eye contact with Loki and then shrugged nonchalantly.

Clint's casual but hurried crumpling of a paper that he stuffed into his pocket did not go unobserved by Stark, and he felt his curiosity increase at what could be written on something so small. He bet it was an apology or remark that Loki wrote to Clint, but Tony wasn't sure why Barton seemed so intent on keeping it to himself. Maybe one day he would look into it, Tony thought to himself, after all, he could easily pull up his security footage and see exactly what happened.

With that being said, Tony was glad Clint and Loki were on decent terms, because extra tension between people who live under the same roof can never lead to good things. Natasha in particular seemed pleased that Clint had finally gotten past the memories and regrets that have haunted him for weeks, even if she still wasn't fully trusting of Loki.

Honestly, Tony was kind of impressed with Clint's maturity. Tony thought that if it was him who was the one mind-controlled, (which it easily could've been if not for his arc reactor), he wouldn't be so quick to forgive. Not that Barton had exactly _forgiven_ Loki per se, but more like he accepted the fact that he was going to be stuck with the pretentious demigod for awhile and might as well get used to it.

"Well that's good news," Steve said, breaking the uncomfortable silence and deciding to shift the conversation to something more practical. "Anyone up for pancakes for breakfast?"

The Avengers snapped out of their stupor about Clint and Loki and quickly voiced their approval of Cap's idea. Steve went to start making the batter, while everyone else wisely stayed out of the way. It had kind of become a tradition for Steve to cook by himself, because the last time the rest of the Avengers tried to help, it resulted in a disastrous event that forced Tony to remodel his kitchen (again).

Tony settled himself down on the couch across from Loki, and sat there in ease as he waited for the fresh aroma of pancakes to waft from the kitchen. He watched the demigod in front of him in a peculiar interest. Everything Loki did seemed to be more regal than if anyone else had done it. From the way he sat, with his posture correct and back stiff, or even the way his eyes casually flitted around the room at the Avengers, as if he thought he was better than them.

And knowing Loki, he probably still viewed himself above everyone else, even after being defeated by them and no longer having magic or his voice. Tony unexpectedly felt a connection with him, realizing that they weren't that different when it boiled down to what's inside.

Tony had always known people thought of him as arrogant and narcissistic; they claimed he was an egotistical jerk who only cared about himself and his money. He took this in stride, even agreeing to most of what they said. If truth be told, the wayward talk soon merged into his personality and reputation, and he became what they all assumed he already was.

Tony shocked the public when he became an Avenger, suddenly beginning to save the world instead of destroying it. Tony heard all of that nonsense about his noble change of heart, and about him becoming a so called hero. Truthfully, Tony didn't think he fit the "hero" criteria, and never would. The press just said things they wanted to be true; probably not wanting to be realistic and realize Iron Man was just a billionaire with an alcohol problem hiding behind a suit of armor.

Tony's thoughts then circled back to Loki, and thought about what could've happened had Loki decided to put all his intellect and power to good use instead of evil purposes. Tony easily could've tried to dictate thousands of people with the number of weapons he had, but instead opted for protecting them. Tony wondered where exactly Loki's path went off kilter from his own, and how he ended up as the bad guy when Stark didn't.

Tony thought back to when he heard Thor's stories about his and Loki's childhood and how they were raised differently. Thor talked about how he was always Odin's favorite, leaving Loki striving to receive the praise he desired, but never being quite good enough for his father. (Tony desperately ignored the memories of his own relatable daddy issues here, and kept his mind on the subject at hand.) Even the people of Asgard always thought of Thor of being the extraordinary one, the one fit to be a king.

What if all Loki ever wanted was to be seen as equal to his brother? Tony knew it was no excuse for Loki to try and destroy Midgard and then rule it as a tyrant, but it made a certain kind of twisted sense in his mind.

Loki had to know he could never be equal to Thor in straight up fighting and strength, he just wasn't built like that. So he settled for the best next best thing, using intelligence and magic and tricks to deceive and run circles around Thor and his mighty hammer.

Maybe Loki also thought that he if he could not be as morally good and amazing as Thor was, he could try to be equal to him on the other side of the spectrum. And Tony had to admit, Loki did a pretty good job at being a bad guy. He was cunning in a way Thor could never dream of achieving, which meant Loki had finally found an area in which he was superior. So, that-

Tony was interrupted from his thoughts when a folded piece of paper suddenly flew and hit him in the face, making him blink in surprise.

Tony glanced down at the paper that had fallen into his lap and read the words inside. _Staring is rude, Stark._

He looked up and was greeted with piercing green eyes and an arrogant smirk. Tony realized that while he had been off in his own world speculating and thinking, he had accidentally been staring at Loki.

"It seems ironic that the one who destroyed an entire city is lecturing me about manners," Tony responded dryly.

Loki's smirk did not diminish, but something flashed in his eyes at the statement. Was it anger at Tony's offhanded comment? Or perhaps even a flicker of regret?

The more Tony tried to figure out what was going through Loki's mind, the less sense anything made. Tony prided himself on his brain, his most valuable asset, and it didn't please him when his transcendent mind was faced with a problem it couldn't solve.

Nonetheless, Tony didn't mind a taxing challenge once in awhile, and decided he was going to have to work hard at trying to comprehend a connoisseur of deception. There was something oddly appealing about the thought of figuring out Loki, since most people don't get an inside look at the villain's real motives.

Just like that, Tony Stark decided that Loki was just another equation for him to solve, and he was intent on doing just that.

xxx

Loki could not, for the life of him, figure out what Tony Stark was doing. All day, Tony had been following him around the tower, incessantly chattering in a one sided conversation, but never tiring or becoming discouraged.

Countless times Loki had thrown pieces of paper at him, kindly and not-so-kindly asking him to leave him alone, but still Tony persevered in his quest to make Loki as annoyed as possible.

Tony even followed him into the library, the one place Loki hoped he would not set foot in. Loki chose a novel at random, ignoring Tony's comments of his selection. (" _Harry Potter? Really? I bet that kid has better magic than you any day,"_ )

Loki rolled his eyes and sat down in a comfortable arm chair and began to read, doing his best to ignore Stark. He was not expecting it when Tony sat down right beside Loki, practically in his lap in the small space of the chair.

Loki looked up, appalled, and gave Tony his best "what-the-heck-do-you-think-you're-doing-get-off-me" look, which Tony didn't even flinch at, but instead looked to be trying to hold back a grin at the offended demigod.

Loki was infuriated and wished for the hundredth time that he could spew curses at Stark. Tony, who apparently had a death wish, teasingly put an arm around Loki's waist and pretended to read over his shoulder.

That is, until Loki angrily stood up and chucked the book at Tony's head, who unfortunately ducked right in time.

"Hey now, what did Harry Potter ever do to you?" Tony asked. He glanced mournfully at the book before looking back at Loki. "That's a collector's edition you know,"

Loki couldn't care less about the state the book was in, and he turned to leave, determined not to give Tony another second of his time. When he heard the soft pattering of footsteps that proved Tony was once again following him, Loki seriously considered throwing him out another window.

"Here's a pointer: the whole "ignore it and it will go away" technique does not work on Stark. Trust me, I've tried." A female voice said, and Loki glanced backwards to see Natasha stepping out from behind a shelf and smirking at the scene in front of her.

"Now why would you ever want to ignore me?" Tony asked, pretending to be hurt by her statement.

Natasha dismissed his question, and posed her own in response. "Tony, why exactly are you _trying_ to get on this guy's bad side?"

"I'm not," Tony said, sounding like a whiny kid. "He looked like he needed a friend."

Loki glared with absolute venom at Stark, making it clear that he did _not_ need the acquaintanceship of anybody, especially not an annoying Midgardian who liked to follow him around.

Tony saw Loki's scowl and shot him a winning smile in return, making Loki want to wring the obnoxious man's neck.

"Well as of right now, it seems the only thing you have accomplished is getting yourself promoted to number one on his hit list."

Tony shrugged. "It's a start. Baby steps, Romanoff. Baby steps."

Natasha rolled her eyes and shook her head to herself, probably questioning Tony's sanity. It seemed to Loki that the Avengers had long since stopped trying to figure out Stark's erratic and irrational behavior.

xxx

Tony's plan was definitely working. Though it wasn't happening quite as he imagined it, it was getting him information nonetheless. He collected small details of Loki that he had never noticed before, such as how he tightens his jaw when irritated, or that he walks very quietly, almost as if he was constantly sneaking around.

However, Tony's mission wasn't over yet. It was late, and he was in Loki's bedroom as Loki futilely tried to pretend he didn't exist. Tony glanced around the guest room, and as his eyes landed on the television screen, an idea popped into his head.

"Loki, prepare to be amazed." Tony stated out of the blue. Loki dismissively glanced at Tony before going over to his desk and proceeding to organize the books on top of it. Tony took note of the fact that Loki liked to keep his surroundings clean. An interesting attribute for someone who loves creating chaos, Tony thought.

"You aren't going to want to miss this," Tony added, making his voice sound mysterious. "This is about as close as Earth gets to magic, in my opinion. Excluding all of my inventions, of course." Loki looked uninterested, but leaned against his desk and warily watched Tony and his shenanigans.

Tony tried to hide a smirk as he flamboyantly picked up the TV remote and pointed it at the screen. "Are you ready?" He said in mock seriousness.

Loki responded with a bored look on his face, and pretended to stifle a yawn.

Tony grinned and pressed the power button, and keenly watched Loki as the television flared to life. Loki moved his head to look at the TV, and then turned back to Stark and raised an eyebrow.

"Magical isn't it?" Tony said, acting as if in awe, and then chuckling at Loki inspecting the television with suspicion.

 _What is its purpose?_ Loki handed Stark a paper as he continued looking at the flickering light and colors of the screen.

"Well, mostly for entertainment I guess. It's called 'television', and you can watch different shows and stuff…" Tony looked up at Loki who suddenly acted as if the idea of brainless entertainment was trivial to him.

"Hey, don't look so unimpressed! This is one of Earth's many marvels. What do you do on Asgard for entertainment then, if it's so much better than this?"Tony asked snidely, but at the same time hoping he could get some data about Asgard from Loki's point of view.

For a fleeting moment, Loki's expression darkened, but it happened so fast Tony almost missed it. Apparently he didn't like talking about the world he came from, and it was proved when Loki gave him a note that safely stayed away from the undesirable topic.

 _Tell me more about this thing called television._

Tony decided not to try and press Loki for details on why Asgard was so terrible to him, (other than what Tony already knew, of course) because it seemed that Loki would likely shut down and keep all his thoughts concealed.

"How about I show you?" Tony teasingly responded to Loki's request. He grabbed Loki's arm and pulled him over to the bed, where Loki grudgingly sat down next to Stark. Tony leaned against the headboard, and smirked at how stiff Loki seemed to be by sitting next to him.

"So, this thing is called a remote." Tony began, showing Loki the object which he spoke of. He demonstrated which buttons did what, and how to go from one show to another. Loki nodded and listened attentively, looking like he was more intrigued than he let on.

"Now that you know the basics, what do you want to watch?" Tony asked as he flipped through channels.

Loki shrugged and observed the screen as it flickered from show to show, as if that were interesting enough for him to watch.

Tony chuckled and thought of what Loki would like, and then suddenly stopped in the midst of his channel surfing when it came to a show he recognized.

"Well lookie here, I bet you'll like this one." Tony said, setting the remote down.

Loki regarded him and the TV questioningly, waiting for Tony to explain what they were going to watch.

"It's called Sherlock, and it's about this smart guy who solves mysteries and stuff. I've only seen it a couple times, but I know Bruce really likes it." Tony then looked over at Loki and leaned in slightly, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Don't tell Bruce, but I personally like the Sherlock in the movie better."

Loki looked like he didn't realize what treason Tony had committed by saying that, probably because he hadn't ever heard of Sherlock before anyway.

Tony smiled and leaned back against the headboard, watching the screen in satisfaction. "So this is okay?"

Loki nodded in agreement, and Tony laughed and said, "Good, because lucky for us, there is a marathon going on all night! Can't get enough Sherlock, you know."

Loki probably didn't understand a word coming out of Tony's mouth, so he settled himself in to unknowingly watch an entire season of the show.

Tony was impressed that as they continued to watch Sherlock later into the night, Loki was quickly figuring out the cases faster and faster and would scrawl the answer to present to Tony long before the Sherlock on the show figured it out.

Tony finally had to tell him to stop spoiling the show when during the first 10 minutes of one, Loki wrote to Stark that it was the wife, and ended up being right.

Tony almost felt a pang of jealousy, but reminded himself that his mind was more scientifically wired, while Loki was incredibly intelligent when it came to logic and strategy. For the longest time, Bruce was the only one who could almost match Tony in intelligence, but now it seems that Loki might give him a run for his money.

Tony appreciated intelligent company though, which is why he was so close to Bruce as well. As he watched episodes of Sherlock with an ex-villain who could quite possibly be insane, Tony Stark surprisingly felt very much at peace.

xxx

 **Haha, if anyone doesn't get my reference to the reason Tony likes the Sherlock in the movie better, it's because Robert Downey Jr plays him lol. Please review, and let me know if you have any suggestions for this story!**

 **Unfortunately, I'll be gone for a couple weeks for vacation, so I won't be able to do any updating. Sorry about that!**


	6. Trust Issues and Movie Night

**I'm back from vacation, and I had a great time! Here's another long awaited chapter! I hope you like it.**

xxx

Tony never intended to fall asleep in Loki's bed.

He had woken up earlier than normal, his bleary eyes squinting in the early light of the morning. He was still half asleep until the blurred vision from his eyes sluggishly moved to his brain, showing him that another person was in his bed with him.

At this, his brain's instinctual alarm system went off, and he jerked completely awake. Tony was staring into the sleeping face of Loki, in a room that was definitely not his own. Stark had a moment of panic as he tried to recall the events of the night before.

 _Please don't tell me I did something utterly stupid… I don't feel hung over, it can't be that bad.. Why the heck am I sleeping with Loki…_ Scenarios and questions flew through his mind at a million miles per second, until suddenly he remembered everything clearly.

The TV on the wall that was still on, and that reminded him of watching the countless number of shows of Sherlock with Loki the night before. How had he let his guard down so quickly? Even for Stark, who's entire being revolved around reckless behavior, knew that if Loki had wanted to kill him last night, he would be nothing more than a cold corpse right now.

But evidentially, since Tony was still breathing and entirely unharmed, Loki didn't take the open opportunity to kill him, and for that Tony was grateful. Now that he had figured his situation out, he felt his heart rate slow back down, and he relaxed, resting his gaze on the sleeping demigod.

The sunlight hit Loki just right, making him look more youthful and casting shadows of his eyelashes onto his sharp cheekbones. Loki looked more vulnerable in his sleep, without the guarded expressions or looks of spite that he often wore. Tony watched as his chest moved up and down evenly, and took note that Loki was a quiet sleeper, hardly making any noise at all.

Watching Loki sleep was a bit boring, and possibly creepy, so Tony decided he needed to get out of bed. Maybe let Loki wake up later, alone, and he would never know how precariously close he was to cuddling Tony in his sleep. For some reason, Tony didn't think Loki would like the thought of close body proximity to him.

The predicament Tony was faced with was how to get out of bed without waking Loki up. Tony really didn't want to deal with an angry, grumpy God of Mischief this early in the morning by waking him up from his beauty sleep.

It was awfully bad luck that Tony's side of the bed was pressed against the wall, leaving no room to escape from his side. Tony would have to somehow climb over Loki. Hmm, time to get into stealth ninja mode, he supposed.

Then he conveniently remembered that he was not Black Widow, and he didn't _have_ a stealth ninja mode programmed into him. Outside of the Ironman suit, Tony was not known for his athletic abilities or any kind of skill that involved moving gracefully.

As much as it pained him to admit it, Tony could be kind of clumsy, especially this early in the morning.

Brains and incredible intelligence that could outsmart your smart computer that he probably invented for you? Check. Charismatic personality and dashing good looks? Of course. Sarcasm all day, all the time? Wouldn't have it any other way.

So other than the small detail of athleticism, Tony Stark was pretty much perfect in every way, if he did say so himself. Unfortunately, in the situation he currently found himself in, the only skill he needed was the one he didn't have. Tony saw no other option than giving it a go, even though he could foresee that it would most likely fail miserably.

Carefully, Tony sat up and then leaned back on his haunches to inspect where he should place his hands and feet around Loki's nearly motionless body.

He saw an opening for his hand on the other side of Loki, and he slowly and quietly placed it there, so he was completely hovering above Loki, hands on either side of his head.

"Easy, easy," He murmured to himself as lifted his left leg and swung it past Loki on the space on the bed on other side. Tony was glad the bed didn't creak and give him away. So now he had Loki completely entrapped beneath him, still sleeping softly.

The last thing Tony had to do was swing his right leg over Loki and off the bed, so he could land on the floor and complete his mission.

Gaining confidence, Tony moved his leg upwards and over Loki, and he could almost smell the freedom beckoning to him.

That's when his hand slipped.

He cried out as he felt himself tumbling onto the floor, pulling Loki down with him. He landed on top of Loki in an uncomfortable heap, basically straddling him. Loki immediately awoke and looked up in alarm and confusion at Stark on top of him.

Well that got really awkward really fast, Tony thought. Despite his thoughts, he just grinned at the uncomfortable demigod beneath him.

"Morning, sunshine," Tony smirked at Loki's irritated look at the term of endearment. "Hadn't really planned on waking you up like this, or actually, waking you up at all, but, um here we are." He rolled off Loki and stretched out his limbs, wondering if he should try and escape while he still could.

Loki stood up and held onto the remaining shards of dignity he still had, dusting his clothes off with an aura of superiority.

"Shall we go down to breakfast?" Tony asked, holding his arm out like he was going to escort Loki. Unsurprisingly, Loki didn't take him up on the offer, instead sending a disgusted look his way and storming out the door.

Apparently Loki wasn't happy with the fact that he had fallen asleep with an enemy in the same bed. Or the fact that he had woken up beneath said enemy on the floor.

"Alright, well that could've gone better." Tony muttered to himself, "But it could've also gone a heck of a whole lot worse."

And with that he went to breakfast, beating Loki there because Tony, like any genius would, took the elevator.

xxx

The next couple hours passed by fairly uneventfully, and Loki made to sure to try and avoid Stark as much as possible. He couldn't believe he had let himself fall asleep with the pesky mortal. It was a ridiculous moment of weakness, and Loki swore to himself that it would never happen again.

Loki wanted to crush the small voice in the back of his mind that told him that maybe he enjoyed the genius's company, and that perhaps he appreciated having someone go out of their way to spend time with him.

 _Shut up,_ he seethed at his own thoughts.

Loki realized he was really screwed now if he was talking back to the voices inside his head. It was probably some symptom of not being able to talk to anyone for extended periods of time, or maybe he suffered some kind of mental condition.

He mulled over that thought as he walked out of the library where he had been peacefully reading. He was heading towards the kitchen, hoping he had missed "team lunch" as the Avengers called it. He preferred to eat alone, and didn't exactly favor the lingering, awkward silences that followed him when he was there.

Maybe at times eating by himself made him feel a little lonely, but he would never admit that to anyone.

He turned a corner to find himself face to face with none other than Tony Stark. Tony's expression held a flicker of surprise for a moment before changing into a grin. Loki didn't know how he could take everything so lightly, and literally make a joke out of anything.

"Well hi there. Where you've been? I could've sworn you went into hibernation or something."

Loki ignored the comment and walked past him, hoping that today Stark would decide to leave him alone. He should've known his hopes were too much to ask for, and he felt Tony's hand around his arm, stopping his progress.

"Loki, come on I know you don't have any place to be, I'm like your only friend here."

Loki whirled around at this statement, feeling peeved and indignant. He sent Tony a look that clearly said that they were _not_ friends, wishing somewhere in that smart brain of his, Tony would get the message.

He pulled out some paper and furiously wrote his response before shoving it at Stark. _Whatever you think you will get out of pretending to be my acquaintance, Stark, I suggest you forget about it before you end up getting hurt._

There had to be some motive for Tony to willingly act as though he wanted to be around Loki. Nobody in their right mind would want to befriend an unstable villain with so much blood on their hands, especially not one who had personally victimized them.

Even before he went and tried to take over an entire realm, Loki had never had many friends. So now, the entire idea seemed impossible.

"Whoa now, no need to be threatening," Tony said, holding up his hands in mock surrender.

Suddenly a flash of resentment went through Loki as a scornful thought came to him. He just wasn't in a good mood today, and this manipulative friendliness from Stark wasn't making things better. His hand was shaking in anger as he wrote another note to Tony.

 _Did Thor set you up to this?_ It would be just like something the blonde idiot would think of, probably wanting Tony to befriend Loki so that maybe the innocent little brother that he once knew would come back again. Loki did not appreciate being played.

"What? No. What's your problem, can you not handle the fact that maybe someone actually wants to be around you just because?" Tony responded snidely.

Loki felt himself glowering at Tony, looking for the telltale signs of a lie. Did Tony take him as a fool? Nobody wanted to be friends with a God of Mischief _just because._

He had friends before, and they betrayed him. Loki would not let that happen again.

To show Tony how he felt, he jerked his arm away from him, and without meeting the other man's eyes, stalked off to find solitude and sulk by himself.

xxx

Loki was watching episodes of Sherlock by himself when there was a knock on his door, and Tony Stark poked his head in.

He didn't know what the point of knocking was if he was going to come in before someone answered anyway, but Loki supposed it was just Tony's style to go against the norm.

He felt exasperation and a miniscule amount of surprise at Tony's stubborn persistency; that man could just not take "no" for an answer. Loki didn't turn his eyes away from the show after that, even when he felt Tony walking towards him and standing at his bedside.

"Hey, Lokes. Movie Night tonight if you're interested in joining us."

Loki reluctantly stopped pretending to watch TV, and turned his eyes on Stark, leaving them impassive and unreadable. He was trying to understand Tony, and was finding it very hard to do.

When Loki didn't answer, Tony added, "I'm doing this out of the goodness of my heart, you know. No one is making me do this. You might think I'm crazy, and I probably am, but I am never going to back down from a challenge. So, the more you avoid me, the more you increase my motivation."

Tony finished his short speech and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for a response as he looked down at Loki with an eyebrow raised.

Loki was faced with conflicted feelings. He knew that when he was down there, probably none of the other Avengers would be ecstatic to see him. And Thor would be down there, which almost gave Loki motive enough to stay in his room for the next couple of years.

However, as much as it pained him to admit it, he wanted to be Stark's friend. He wanted to be able to fit into the group, but he knew to do that he would have to get over his deep seeded trust issues and actually make an effort to act as a nice guy to them.

As a result, Loki went against his better judgment and grudgingly agreed to Tony's offer, standing up and hoping that this so-called Movie Night was worth it.

Tony grinned and walked out the door with Loki in tow, even taking the freaking stairs to appease him.

Loki trailed behind him quietly, wondering why he was feeling slightly nervous at the thought of being with the Avengers. He quickly shook it off, and steeled himself with a bored expression as they walked into the media room.

xxx

The rest of the Avengers were already sitting on various couches of the apparent designated room for Movie Night, based on the huge flat screen TV on the wall and the popcorn maker in the corner that obviously the group had already gotten into.

They were talking and laughing with one another as popcorn kernels fell on the floor, and one by one they noticed their new arrivals.

Loki felt out of his depth amidst the friendly heroes, but he was glad to see that nobody in the room was looking at him with obvious dislike or contempt. There were looks of indifference and hints of surprise, and of course Loki tried to ignore the expression of joy on Thor's face at seeing his brother coming out of his shell a little bit.

"Have y'all decided on a movie yet?" Tony asked as he went and sat down next to Bruce on the couch. Loki didn't know where else to sit, and purposely pretending he didn't see the empty seat beside Thor and the oaf's exaggerated gesturing, he sat down on the other side of Tony.

"We're between The Incredibles or Transformers. I don't know what either of them are, so I don't care which one we watch." Steve replied.

"Hmm, so a bunch of superheroes watching a kids' animated movie about superheroes, or one about a bunch of cars turning into giant robot things." Tony mused. "What do you think Loki?"

Loki just rolled his eyes, not really caring what they watch, and then turned away.

"Fine. The Incredibles it is. Just because I know how much Loki loves superheroes." Tony announced to the group, causing scattered chuckling to commence.

Clint got up and popped the movie in, and then everyone settled down as the lights went dim to watch it.

As Loki watched the movie, his opinion of it worsened. The concept was frankly rather dumb and childish, and Loki was actually offended by the portrayal of the so-called villain. What a disgrace to villains everywhere.

He noticed Tony kept glancing over at him to gauge his reactions to scenes in the movie, and he would elbow Loki whenever he saw him not paying attention. Apparently Loki's participation in watching this juvenile movie was important to Stark.

There were parts that Loki did enjoy, however. Not from the movie itself, but from the interesting commentary he heard from the Avengers.

"Yeah! You go Bob!" He heard Clint egging on the character through the TV screen as he fought against the evil round machines meant for destruction. Loki rolled his eyes.

"No capes?" He heard Thor whine when the peculiar tiny woman on the screen made the statement. For once, Loki had to agree with him; he loved his cape, it totally completed his outfit.

There were many more comments made, some criticizing fighting techniques while others made completely random remarks that nobody really cared about. Loki was the only one who didn't say anything, for obvious reasons.

"Look at that, they saved the world! Pretty impressive." Stark said when the movie finally ended, nudging Loki.

The Avengers soon got up and began getting ready to leave, finally going their separate ways after all the popcorn was cleaned up at Tony's command.

Tony followed Loki to the stairs before stopping to ask him something before he left. "Did you like it?" He queried, watching Loki intently as if he were taking notes on a rare specimen.

Loki shrugged in response, but he knew Tony saw right through his uncaring façade. He grinned and told Loki it was nice to have him there, before finally bidding him good night and walking back towards the elevator to go to his room.

When Loki lay in bed that night, moments before falling asleep, he decided it was nice to be included in the Avenger's activities. In that instant, Loki felt a small fracture forming in the walls he had put up around his heart, and he thought that maybe on top of saving the world, the heroes could save him as well.

xxx

 **There ya go! Sorry for the long wait, but thanks to all my loyal readers for sticking with me.**

 **Also, I have an important message for anyone interested. I have started another story, and it's called In Love with an Oblivious Genius if you're interested in checking it out. Lots of Steve/Tony in it, if you like that than I would love for you to read it!**

 **Please review on this story, they always make my day. Thanks!**


End file.
